The main characters of O. Balzac. The main characters of Gobsek Gobsek is a positive or negative hero

In 1830, the immortal story was written French writer Honore de Balzac "Gobsek". The work's problematics are entirely based on one of human vices - stinginess, which at the end of the protagonist's life turned into absurdity. Over time, the story was included by the author in the multi-volume work “The Human Comedy”.

Brief biography of the author

Born in Paris on May 20, 1799. According to biographical information, his father was a peasant, and his mother was from the bourgeoisie. Honore began using the aristocratic prefix “de” in the year of the publication of his story “Gobsek”, which you can read briefly in this article.

Having received his bachelor's degree, Balzac began three years of service in a notary's office. The young man confidently rejected his father’s offer to open his own practice. He saw only literature as his hobby and work. It is worth saying that at that time the works of the young guy were not of the slightest interest to publishing houses.

Filled with impatience, Honore moved to a poor Parisian quarter and took up work. The novel that he began to write many years later would make him popular among true connoisseurs of literature, but critics of that time mercilessly did not recognize his creations.

Return to writing

Since 1829, Balzac continued to create his immortal novels and stories. At night he wrote, maintaining in himself vitality a large number cups of black coffee and rested in the evening. During the day, Honore wrote more than one goose feather.

This “army” regime was finally rewarded, and the books received due attention. The novel “Shagreen Skin” brought the writer the title of one of the best authors of that time. This resounding success greatly inspired the young writer, thanks to which he created an excellent epic called “The Human Comedy.” It included the story “Gobsek”, the content of which is very close to the characters and actions of Balzac’s contemporaries.

The significance of Ukraine in the writer’s life

Balzac first visited this country in 1847. Here he was married to Evelina Ganskaya, so he often visited Ukrainian lands. He wrote many essays about these wonderful places, and one of them is “Letter about Kyiv.” Balzac admired the fertile land on which wheat is sown every year, without fertilizing the soil at all.

While on the Ganskaya estate, Honore was sincerely interested in the life of the peasants. He liked to watch groups of people coming home from work, singing happy songs. As a result, the author’s love for Ukraine was reflected not only in letters for Paris, but also in the novel “Peasants.”

Balzac's innovation

The work of young Honoré fell at the dawn of two main genres: novels about history and personality. Balzac never followed fashion in European literature and created works, trying to show in them the individualized type of each character, such as, for example, the well-known image of Gobseck.

The author's focus has almost always been on modern bourgeois society with all its shortcomings. The existence of classes of that time, social institutions and social conditions are revealed as fully as possible in the “Etudes on Morals”, which Balzac wrote. “Gobsek” also entered this cycle as a demonstration of human stinginess and greed.

"Human Comedy"

Despite the constant nagging of critics, Balzac did not stop working. After a while, the author decides to combine his works into an epic called “The Human Comedy.” According to the author, the book was supposed to contain stories that would describe modern society, every existing character trait, in a word - to create a unique picture of your time.

The cycle consists of three parts, the most extensive being “Etudes on Morals”. She unfolded real picture France, where Balzac lived. "Gobsek" is one of the literary masterpieces that were included in the "Etude".

All Balzac's characters are vividly drawn - they are memorable and ambiguous. This is exactly what the main character of the book “Gobsek” is. The story is summarized below, but summary conveys only a small part of the meaning that the author wanted to tell the reader about.

The story begins in the salon of the Viscountess de Granlier, whose guests were Count Ernest de Resto and Derville. When the first of them left, the mistress of the house began to explain to her daughter Camilla that it was impossible to so directly show goodwill towards the count, because not a single Parisian family would want to become related to them. Ernest was not a suitable match her daughter, as he was insolvent.

Derville decides to intervene in what is happening to explain the true essence of things. He began the story from afar, mentioning that he met Gobsek while still a student and called him a cold-blooded golden idol.

Once a moneylender told a story about collecting a debt from one countess. Fearing discovery, she gave him the diamonds, the money for which was received by her lover on a promissory note. Gobsek turned out to be right when he said that he would ruin her entire family.

Later, the handsome blond Count Maxime de Tray approached Derville with a request to meet the moneylender. Gobsek, in turn, at first refused to give the count a loan, since the borrower at that time was completely in debt. But that same woman comes to the moneylender with the remainder and without a doubt agrees to all the conditions. The countess did all this because of blackmail against de Tray, which consisted of transferring money to him, otherwise he would allegedly commit suicide.

On the same day, the husband of the above-mentioned woman bursts into Gobsek’s house demanding the return of the diamonds. But instead, he gives all his property to the moneylender in order to protect him from unfaithful wife and her lover. Towards the end, Derville reports that this incident happened to the father of Ernest de Resto.

After some time, the count becomes seriously ill. On this occasion, his wife breaks off all ties with Maxim and takes care of her husband. A day after his death, while looking for a will, a woman destroyed the deceased’s office. But her most terrible act was the burning of papers, in the absence of which the property of the deceased count passed into the possession of Gobsek. Derville begged the moneylender to return everything to the de Resto family, but he was adamant.

At the end of the story, having learned that Camilla and Ernest loved each other, Derville went to Gobsek and found him near death. By the end of his life, stinginess completely consumed him. The house was littered with a large amount of spoiled food, because he did not sell anything for fear of selling it cheap. The image of Gobsek is the embodiment of a kind of predatory force, with the help of which a person quickly makes his way to gold and power.

The story ends with the lawyer Derville informing de Granlier about the imminent return of the lost property by the Count de Resto. The noble lady decides that Camilla could very well become Ernest’s wife.

Characteristics of the main character

The image of Gobsek is internally contradictory. Main character is strong personality, and also to some extent a philosopher and psychologist. Along with these traits are greed, meanness and cruelty. Most likely, it was precisely because of the harsh conditions of existence that the moneylender was accustomed to achieving his goal by any means necessary.

Also, the characteristics of Gobsek and his portrait are clearly visible in the author’s statements about him. Balzac describes the main character as a bill of exchange man. The realization of the predatory world he lives in led him to usury. Moreover, he needs such an amount of money and gold not for a luxurious existence, but for a sense of protection. Gobsek's characterization is complemented by his meager speech, a standard dry set of phrases in conversation with clients. All of him appearance shows contempt for rich people.

Other works

In his youth, Honore tried not to pay attention to the unfair words of critics, continuing his work. Early works were:

The novel "Shuans";

- “Shagreen skin”;

- “Gobsek”;

- “The House of the Cat Playing Ball.”

Balzac sought to demonstrate the individualized type of each of his characters. The center of his work was not fictional heroes, but the life and actions of bourgeois society. The beloved image of Gobsek from the story of the same name showed readers how tragic life can be if a person has to kill everything good in himself and become a soulless rip-off and hoarder.

The French realist writer Honore de Balzac believed that a work should contain more living details, everyday details, since the depiction of everyday life gives images and phenomena truthfulness. Balzac is the author of the epic cycle of works “The Human Comedy”, which includes the famous story “Gobsek”.

The main character is a wealthy moneylender who believes that money can be used to control people. He found clients in dire need and gave them money at a huge interest rate. Thus, the hero accumulated a fortune. However, Gobsek continued to live modestly, saving every penny. He was overcome by an insane passion for accumulation, and with it came a suspicion of people. Gobsek pretended to be a poor old man so that no one would rob him. One day he became hostage to two of his passions at once. The hero dropped the gold coin, but did not admit that it belonged to him. Despite his greed for money, he was unable to reveal himself to the other residents of the house.

The image of Gobsek is not clear-cut. It’s as if a miser and a philosopher coexist in him. He doesn’t just take interest from his clients, but enjoys the moments of weakness of the pathetic people who become dependent on him. Gobsek creates own theory the unlimited power of gold over the human mind. He is sure that whoever owns gold owns the world. And yet, Gobsek is not a malicious person, because he knows how to see not only bad, but also good qualities in others. The old man deftly notices details in the behavior and even movements of his clients, knows when they are afraid and try to delay the payment of money. But we won’t beg Gobsek, and he collects all the bills without delay, independently running “on his thin legs” to the houses of his debtors.

However, this “automatic man” knows what friendship is, although he understands it to the best of his convictions. When Derville, the only companion of the moneylender, asks to borrow money for him, he refuses, explaining that money ruins friendship: the debtor feels obligated, and the creditor expects his interest. Knowing himself, Gobsek does not want to have “golden” power over his friend. Gobsek's humanity is also evident in his attitude towards the seamstress Fanny Malvo. He admires the poor girl's nobility.

Gobsek is a good analyst, although his conclusions are biased. Watching people, he realizes that the only constant mover in the world is gold. One thing, in his opinion, is unchanged - which means that in order to achieve power, you need to own gold.

Why does Gobsek need unlimited power over others? The answer lies in the events experienced in youth. Then the hero was completely different, not a cynical realist, but a desperate romantic. But betrayal and unhappy love made his heart callous. Now it’s clear why he called money the only friend who wouldn’t betray him.

Honore de Balzac, in the image of the main character, shows how the cult of gold cripples the souls of people. After all, Gobsek had a great inner strength, but chose the path of a soulless machine for acquiring money, turning from a human philosopher into a semi-automatic machine.

French literature

Victor Eremin

Gobsek

“- Hehe! - Gobsek creaked, and this exclamation resembled the creaking of a copper candlestick moved on a marble board.”*

_____________________
* Here and in fact the novel is quoted from the book: Honore Balzac. Gobsek. Evgenia Grande. Father Goriot. M.: Pravda, 1979.

To some, perhaps, these words will seem like another curious detail of the character of a cruel moneylender, but Balzac’s colossal genius is not such that any detail in his main works becomes just a feature of everyday life, and does not take on the meaning of a universal symbol. And in this case, Gobseck’s “he-he” is not an old man’s joyful laugh, but that same drawn-out roar of triumph of world capital, which amuses itself with the gray human mass swarming at its feet, eager for at least a glimpse of fate to touch its undivided power and for this coveted chimera ready to pump his bottomless womb with more and more victims of vain hopes.

Balzac is often called the greatest of the greatest novelists in France. In terms of the philosophical fullness of the plots, in terms of the number and variety of characters captured by the pen of the great writer, in terms of the power of penetration into the depths of human existence, this is undoubtedly true - the greatest of the greatest...

Honore de Balzac

Honore Balzac was born on May 20, 1799* in the French city of Tours**. His family came from peasants, but his father was able to become a provincial official. Grandfather Honore was an illiterate farmer nicknamed Waltz. The father of the future writer received an education, became a judicial official and changed his surname to Balzac. Honore went even further - taking advantage of the post-revolutionary confusion, he added the noble de to his surname and began to be called Honore de Balzac.
_____________________
* An interesting detail is often noted - Balzac was born only three weeks earlier than A.S. Pushkin.
** Tours is now the main city of the Indre-et-Loire department.

The boy turned out to be the unloved son in the house. They tried to get rid of him as quickly as possible: Honore was not yet nine years old when he was sent to the College Vendôme. It was located in a gloomy castle, surrounded by a moat with water. Honore spent six years in this place, and during all that time, his parents never took the boy home, even during the holidays. Books became a consolation for him from abandonment: Balzac selflessly immersed himself in reading, and from the age of twelve he became interested in writing, and his college comrades immediately recognized Honore as a writer. This happened at the height of the Napoleonic wars and the occupation of France by Allied troops.

At the age of sixteen, Balzac became seriously ill, and his parents were forced to take him home. The young man completed his education in Paris, where soon after the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo the entire Balzac family moved.

Even then, Honore was confident in his path as a writer, but his father forced the young man to study law. Balzac did not make a lawyer or a notary, but the judges' offices in which he had the opportunity to hang around during his studies gave the writer many of the heroes of his future works.

The time came, and Honore firmly told his father that he had chosen a career as a writer. François Bernard Balzac, reluctantly, was forced to agree to support his son for two years, giving him the opportunity to test his strength as a writer.

In 1819, the family moved to live in Villeparisis, and Honoré remained in the capital and plunged headlong into writing. The first to come from his pen was the disastrous historical tragedy “Cromwell.” It was completed in 1821, after which the father refused to support his son.

To survive, Balzac threw himself into pulp writing. adventure novels, which were published and brought him minimal funds. Subsequently, the author renounced these vulgar exercises of his.

Balzac's attempts to earn big money right away, through entrepreneurship, failed miserably and only plunged him into the abyss of heavy debts. It seemed that fate itself was directing the writer along the only path predetermined for him.

One work after another came out of Balzac’s pen, but the writer still did not understand what his work was dedicated to and dreamed only of fame. But over time, quantity turned into quality. According to the memoirs of Balzac’s sister Laura Surville*, this happened in 1833. One day Balzac exclaimed:
_________________________
* Laura Surville (1800-1871) - all her life she remained the writer’s closest friend.

- Congratulate me, I'm on the right path to becoming a genius!*.
_____________________
* Andre Maurois. Prometheus, or the Life of Balzac. Collection op. in 5 volumes. T. 4. M.: AST, Astrel, Olimp, 1999.

The writer decided to create a single huge work from all his novels - an encyclopedia human characters, which was called "Human Comedy". In one of his letters in 1834, Balzac explained: “My work must incorporate all types of people, all social conditions, it must embody all social changes so that not one life situation, not one person, not one character, male or female, not one way of life, not one profession, not one person’s views, not one French province, not anything from childhood, old age, adulthood, from politics, law or military affairs were not forgotten.”*
_______________________
* Ibid.

The largest diamond in the collection of Balzac’s masterpieces was the novel “Gobsek”, which had already been created by that time.
___________________
* The novel “Gobsek” was written by O. de Balzac in 1830. The name Gobsek is translated from French as “eating dry food.”

In domestic criticism, they often try to compare the moneylender Gobsek with Pushkin’s Miserly Knight from Little Tragedies* or with Gogol’s Plyushkin from Dead Souls. Such a comparison is undoubtedly unlawful due to the fundamental differences between the characters. Gobsek cannot be viewed as simply a hoarder, a morbidly greedy person. Comparing his hero with Talleyrand** and Voltaire*** throughout the narrative, Balzac actually elevated him to the rank of ideologist of our modern society, the foundations of which were laid precisely in the 18th - early 19th centuries.
_____________________
* « Stingy Knight"was written in the same year as "Gobsek".
** Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838) - great French diplomat; master of subtle diplomatic intrigue; unprincipled politician; He is often called the father of the modern world school of diplomacy.
*** For more on Voltaire, see Chapter 74. The “Writer” of this book; the philosopher is one of the founders of the ideology of modern world democracy.

Balzac more than once emphasizes that Gobseck is a philosopher of gold, who enjoys not the very fact of having gold, but the opportunity, thanks to the possession of wealth, to observe from the outside the processes that take place in society and human souls due to a lack of money, and also more - the opportunity to control these processes with the help of gold for your own entertainment. It is for this reason that Gobsek arrogated to himself the right of the highest judge and said about himself:

“I appear as retribution, as a reproach of conscience!”

Through the mouth of a wise moneylender, the writer formulated the basic principles of the existence of the notorious “civilized” world of our time. Let us quote Gobsek’s most important monologue in the novel.

“There is nothing lasting on earth, there are only conventions, and they are different in each climate. For someone who, willy-nilly, was applied to all social standards, all your moral rules and beliefs are empty words. Only one single feeling is unshakable, embedded in us by nature itself: the instinct of self-preservation. In the states of European civilization, this instinct is called personal interest... of all earthly goods, there is only one that is reliable enough for a person to pursue it. Is this gold. All the forces of humanity are concentrated in gold. I traveled and saw that there were plains and mountains all over the earth. The plains bore you, the mountains tire you; In short, it doesn’t matter what place you live in. As for morals, people are the same everywhere: everywhere there is a struggle between the poor and the rich, everywhere. And it is inevitable. It’s better to push yourself than to allow others to push you. Everywhere, muscular arms are working, and skinny ones are suffering. Yes, and the pleasures are the same everywhere, and everywhere they are equally draining of strength; Only one joy experiences all pleasures - vanity. Vanity! It is always our “I”. What can satisfy vanity? Gold! Streams of gold. To fulfill our whims, we need time, we need material opportunities and efforts. Well then! In gold everything is contained in the germ, and everything it gives in reality.”

It is gold, according to Gobsek, that “forces noble gentlemen (today read: those in power - V.E.) to steal millions in a decent manner and sell their homeland. In order not to get their patent leather boots dirty while walking, the important gentleman and anyone who tries to imitate him are ready to plunge headlong into the mud.”

Agree, this wisest “philosopher from the school of cynics” cannot stand on a par with ordinary hoarders. He is too big, too grandiose in his understanding of the main human vices to turn out to be a mediocre money-grubber. No! It was him in the novel that the author paradoxically defined as a man of “the most scrupulous honesty in all of Paris”!

At one time, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels made an attempt to develop a practical theory* that would allow humanity to escape from the Gobseckian trap, but, as we see in the example of death Soviet Union, suffered a significant, if not fatal, defeat in this. By the way, Friedrich Engels, shortly before his death, foresaw such a development of events and wrote that the Achilles heel of Marxism was the weak development of the theory of personal human psychology, which he and Marx had no time to deal with, and expressed the hope that their successors would take up this most important problem. They didn’t, and we witnessed the triumph of boundless rednecks, glorified by Gobsek, over moral ideals given from above, but not materially supported. Moreover, today the rednecks, with the help of looted gold, hired the merchant intelligentsia to theoretically justify their right to mass robbery of the people of Russia. Pointless waste of money! After all, the wise Gobsek did this a long time ago. At least he had the right to do so...
_____________________
* In this case, Marxism is seen as a theory developed by people of conscience, and not as a subversive teaching ordered by the Rothschilds. Although objective research recent years They are increasingly inclined to accept the correct Rothschild version.

The novel "Gobsek", despite all its vitality, was received by readers with great restraint. The attitude towards him has not changed to this day. Despite the entertainment, emotional richness and philosophical depth of the novel, there is no need to talk about either music or painting dedicated to this work, although, it would seem, a more fertile topic could not be found.

The cinematography almost does not refer to Balzac's great novel. In addition to Soviet film adaptations, only the Czech production of 1985 can be mentioned.

In the USSR, “Gobsek” was first staged by director K.V. Eggert* in 1937 Main role performed by L.M. Leonidov**.
_____________________
* Konstantin Vladimirovich Eggert (1883-1955) - Russian and Soviet dramatic actor and director. How an actor worked in Moscow art theater, Chamber and Maly theaters. From 1924 he acted in films, and from 1928 he himself became a director. The film “Gobsek” was filmed in 1936 and released in 1937, which is why there was some confusion in the sources indicating the year of its creation.
** Leonid Mironovich Leonidov ( real name- Wolfensohn) (1873-1941) - Russian Soviet actor, director and teacher; People's Artist USSR; Doctor of Art History. From 1903 until his death, actor of the Moscow Art Theater.

In 1987, the joint Soviet-French film “Gobsek” was released in the USSR, filmed at the “Moldova-film” film studio. Director A.S. Orlov*, the role of Gobsek was played by actor V.M. Tatosov**.
__________________________
* Alexander Sergeevich Orlov (b. 1940) - domestic director, screenwriter, actor. The most famous films directed by Orlov are “The Woman Who Sings,” “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and “The Adventures of Chichikov.”
** Vladimir Mikhailovich Tatosov (b. 1926) - Soviet actor; Tatosov’s creative destiny is connected with the largest Leningrad theaters. He made his film debut in 1954 in the film “Big Family.” The actor was most remembered by viewers for his vivid images created in the television series “Straw Hat” and “The Collapse of Engineer Garin.”

The story "Gobsek" was published by Honore de Balzac in 1830, and in 1842 it became one of key works"The Human Comedy" by entering the "Scenes" section privacy"("Etudes on Morals"). Today this is the most readable work Balzac, it is included in school and university curricula, is the subject of many scientific studies, a wide field for analysis and a rich source of inspiration.

Like many of Balzac's works, Gobsek was initially published in parts. The first episode, entitled "The Moneylender", appeared in the pages of Fashion magazine in February 1830. Then the story appeared under the name “Papa Gobsek” and was divided into semantic parts - “Pawnbroker”, “Lawyer”, “Death of a Husband”. In 1842, the story was included in the “Human Comedy” under the laconic title “Gobsek” without division into chapters. It is this type of work that is considered classic.

Central character- moneylender Jean Esther van Gobseck (note - in this case the surname Gobseck is “speaking”, translated from French - Crookshanks). In addition to the work in which he is a soloist, Gobsek also appears in “Père Goriot”, “Cesar Birotteau”, “The Marriage Contract” and “Officials”. Lawyer Derville, who is also the narrator, is the hero of “Père Goriot,” “Colonel Chabert,” “Dark Affair,” and the novel “The Splendor and Poverty of the Courtesans.”

This cult work has two film incarnations. In 1936, the story was filmed by Soviet director Konstantin Eggert (“Bear’s Wedding”, “The Lame Master”), the role of Gobsek was played by Leonid Leonidov. In 1987, a film of the same name was released under the direction of Alexander Orlov (“The Woman Who Sings,” “The Adventures of Chichikov”), this time Gobsek was played by Vladimir Tatosov.

Let's remember the plot of this immortal masterpiece from the brilliant Honore de Balzac.

The action of the story begins to develop in the salon of the Viscountess de Granlier. It was the winter of 1829-30. There was snow falling outside the window and none of the midnight inhabitants of the living room wanted to move away from the cozy warmth of the fireplace. Viscountess de Ganlier was the most noble, rich and respectable lady of the Saint-Germain suburb. At such a late hour, she reprimanded her seventeen-year-old daughter Camilla for the too obvious affection that she showed towards the young Count Emile de Resto.

A family friend, lawyer Derville, witnesses this scene. He sees Camilla's cheeks glow at the mention of the name of Comte de Resto. There is no doubt, the girl is in love! But why does the Countess oppose the union of young hearts? There is a good reason for this, explains the Countess. It's no secret how inappropriately his mother behaved. Now, of course, she has settled down, but her past leaves an indelible mark on her offspring. Besides, de Resto is poor.

– What if you’re not poor? – Derville grins slyly.
“That would change things somewhat,” the Viscountess notes evasively.
-Then I’ll tell you one romantic story which happened to me many years ago.

Jean Esther van Gobseck

When Derville was twenty-five years old, he rented a room in a poor Parisian hotel. His neighbor was a famous moneylender named Gobsek. Without having met Gobsek personally, Derville had already heard a lot about him. Jean Esther van Gobseck lived alone in his neat, modest apartment. His past was hidden in secrets. They say that at the age of ten he was sent as a cabin boy to a sea vessel. For a long time Gobsek sailed the seas and oceans, and then came to Paris and became a moneylender.

The last refuge for the suffering

Every day visitors came to his room, but these were not good friends, but grief-stricken, miserable petitioners, strangled by vices and their own insatiability. His modest chambers were once visited by successful merchants, young dandies, noble ladies, bashfully covering their faces with veils.

They all came to Gobsek for money. They prayed to Gobsek like a god, and, throwing off their arrogance, humbly pressed their hands to their chests.

Gobsek was hated for his inexorability and callousness. He was called the “golden idol” and the familiar “Papa Gobsek”, his philosophy was considered unspiritual, and his unsociability was at least strange - “if humanity is considered a kind of religion, then Gobsek could be called an atheist.” But all this did not in any way affect the number of clients of Father Gobsek. They came to him because only he could give a chance for salvation or at least delay complete collapse.

One day, young Derville also appeared on the threshold of his neighbor's house. He didn’t have a penny to his name, but after receiving an education, he dreamed of opening his own legal business. The old man Gobsek liked the ambitious young man, and he agreed to invest money in him with the condition of paying a substantial percentage. Thanks to his talent, supported by diligence and healthy frugality, Derville eventually completely settled accounts with Gobsek. During their cooperation, the lawyer and the moneylender became good friends. They met for lunch twice a week. Conversations with Gobsek were for Derville a rich source of life wisdom, seasoned with the unusual philosophy of a moneylender.

When Derville made the last payment, he asked why Gobsek continued to charge him, his friend, huge interest rates, and did not provide the service disinterestedly. To this the old man wisely replied: “My son, I freed you from gratitude, I gave you the right to believe that you do not owe me anything. And that’s why you and I are the best friends in the world.”

Now Derville’s business is thriving, he married for love, his life is constantly happiness and prosperity. So it's full of Derville, because happy man– the topic is unbearably boring.

One day Derville brought his acquaintance Maxime de Tray to Gobsek - a handsome man, a brilliant Parisian womanizer and rake. Maxim is in dire need of money, but Gobsek refuses de Tray a loan because he knows about his numerous unpaid debts. The next day a beautiful lady comes to ask for Maxim. Looking ahead, we note that this was the Countess de Resto, the mother of the same Emile de Resto, who today is unsuccessfully wooing Camille de Granier.

Blinded by passion for the scoundrel de Tray, the countess pawned the family diamonds for his young lover. It must be said that several years ago the Countess paid de Tray’s first bill of exchange from Father Gobsek. The amount was small, but even then Gobsek predicted that this scoundrel would extract all the money from the de Resto family.

Soon Count de Resto, the legal husband of the extravagant countess and the owner of the pawned diamonds, burst into Gobsek’s room. The moneylender refused to return the jewelry, but advised the count to secure his inheritance, otherwise his children would not be destined to see the money. After consulting with Derville, the count transfers all his property to Gobsek and draws up a counter receipt, which states that the sale of property is fictitious - when the eldest son becomes an adult, the moneylender will transfer the rights to manage the property to the legal heir.

The Count conjures Derville to keep the receipt for himself, because he does not trust his greedy wife. However, due to the evil mockery of fate, he becomes seriously ill and does not have time to hand over the document on which the fate of his boy depends. While the count is bedridden in unconsciousness, the countess does not leave his room, believably portraying a grief-stricken wife. No one except Gobsek and Derville knows the true background of this “attachment.” Like a predator, the countess waits for the cherished hour when her victim breathes his last.

Soon the count dies. Derville and Gobsek rush to de Resto's house and witness a terrible picture. Everything in the count's room was turned upside down; in the midst of this chaos, disheveled with sparkling eyes, the countess was rushing about. She was not embarrassed by the presence of the deceased; his body was contemptuously thrown on the edge of the bed, like a thing no longer needed.

Some papers were burning in the fireplace. It was a receipt. "What have you done? - Derville cried - You just ruined your own children. These documents provided them with wealth...”

It seemed that the countess would have a stroke. But nothing could be corrected - Gobsek became the full owner of de Resto’s fortune.

Gobsek refused to help the young heir to de Resto. “Adversity is the best teacher. In misfortune, he will learn a lot, learn the value of money, the value of people... Let him swim on the waves of the Parisian sea. And when he becomes a skilled pilot, we will promote him to captain.”

The humanist Derville could not understand Gobsek's cruelty. He moved away from his friend, and over time their meetings came to naught. Derville made his next visit to Gobsek many years later. They say that all these years Gobsek led a prosperous life, and in lately became completely unsociable and did not leave his magnificent chambers.

Derville found Gobsek dying. The moneylender informed his old friend that he had made him his executor. He bequeathed his entire acquired fortune to his sister’s great-granddaughter, a public girl nicknamed Ogonyok. “She’s as good as Cupid,” the dying man smiled faintly, “find her, my friend.” And let the rightful inheritance now return to Emile de Resto. Surely he became good person.

Inspecting Gobsek's house after his death, Derville was shocked: the pantries were bursting with food, most of which was missing. Everything was spoiled, swarming with worms and insects, but the distraught miser did not sell his goods to anyone. “I saw how stinginess can go, turning into an unaccountable passion devoid of any logic.”

Fortunately, Gobsek managed to transfer his own and return someone else’s wealth. Madame de Granlier listened to the lawyer's story with great interest. “Okay, dear Derville, we’ll think about Emile de Resto,” she said, “Besides, Camilla doesn’t have to see her mother-in-law often.”

« Gobsek" - the work of the French writer Honore de Balzac, writing in 1830, which expanded to the collection of works “The Human Comedy". The main heroes of Gobsek's work live in the presence of a skin reader.

Gobsek's main heroes

• Gobsek,
• Viscountes de Granlier,
• Camilla is the daughter of the Vicomtesse,
• Count de Bornbrat - brother of the Viscounty,
• Derville is a friend of their family,
• Fanny Malvo (Derville's squad),
• Count Maxime de Tray,
• Count de Resto and his squad.

Characteristics of Gobsek

The first impression of Gobsek’s image is very negative.

This is connected with his profession (liquor) and his original character (stinginess).

Honore de Balzac was a master of words and an unshakable knower of human essence. This literary image is a typical representative of any social group of people. The writer appreciated that a person’s character is shaped by the influx of sharpness. Balzac's heroes are far from ideal people. The author truthfully portrays their vices, although he does not openly judge them.

Ale yogo image nabagato glibshe. Let’s bring the conclusion to the conclusion by creating a table of “accuracies” of Gobsek’s behavior and character: Gobsek is a rich man (only five people in Paris can compare with him in terms of wealth) He is afraid to advertise his wealth. Misanthrope. Hate your entire family. He maintains friendly relations with Derville. Having control over the world in my hands (... I control the world without straining myself) When he himself walks among clients and humbly collects payments Hero, there were no reliefs of any kind from human feelings: “people - automatic"; “liudina - bill of exchange”; "golden idol"

As you can see, Balzac scrupulously scrutinized the characters he created, but always did not judge the action characteristics of his creations. The skin character is deeply individual and unique. In fact, their heroes never feel guilty for their actions. Kozhen Balzac's character puts his point of view with a biased bias towards the power of rightness. Likhvar Gobsek does not perceive the daily roots of confusion through his not entirely human activity. And Balzac, as a third-party poster, does not judge him. Moreover, the author truthfully shows the positive aspects of his character: the count, having spoken to Derville, had some thoughts about Gobsek, and he said that in this person “there are two essences: a scientist and a philosopher, underneath the essence and above.” “If I die, deprived of young children, then I will be their guardian,” said Derville.

A magnanimous man: having tried a “sense of pity” at the sight of the evil one that threatens Countess de Resto; Gobsek was “mighty upset”, having cleaned the room of the seamstress Fanny “Dikun” (having tasted “the joy of the dikun, which filled with sparkling stones” after adding diamonds to the countess) The person is enlightened: He knows all the subtleties of law values, a good understanding of politics, mysticism (not surprisingly, the author is equal to his and the statue of Voltaire - one of the most enlightened people of his time) Likhvar.

Another side of this article, which can be taken into account by the internal characteristics of the hero, is represented by heightened emotionality, turbulent passions, which people are automatically masters of. The indescribable tension in the skin of a person depicts, on the one hand, the hero’s jokes about the moral vindication of his - sometimes overly cruel - behavior, on the other hand - his delinquency to help those who deserve є for additional help. The hero cannot openly show his essence, because he will be perceived as weakness, aka Gobsek, as it turns out, always leaning on those who - in spite of the circumstances of life - save morality or want to spare morality.

“Gobsek is an honest person” You can live with him

• "Sknar and the Philosopher"
• “The origin and the presentation”
• Vin "old and child"
• "Stare nemovlya"

Well, Gobsek is complex, rich and super-special.

Why did Gobsek choose the profession of a lizard? What is your living credo?

Epidemiology: Gobsek knowingly took up the profession of a likhvar.

He values ​​money in goods that can be easily sold and bought.

Never again will a hero be so cruel. In his youth, he was a rather romantic, more mature young man. But life’s circumstances have reduced him to the idea of ​​the worthlessness of human nature. Bachachi pours gold on people in such a manner, as he supports them - Gobsek cannot take away such power. Throughout his life, the hero accumulates pennies, squeezing them out of his clients without harming anyone. Did they bring the stink effectively to you of happiness? And even without wasting them on good deeds, nor on bad things. They simply collected gold, rejoicing in its very presence.

Therefore, there is nothing immoral in giving money to the city for large sums and taking away its profits. These are the rules of any kind of trade.

What should Gobsek himself believe?

Verdict: Gobsek believe in the boundless power and power of gold.

Vin states: “Gold is the axis of the spiritual value of any marriage.”

By illuminating the dignity of the nobility, its interbreeding, Balzac shows Gobsek, who holds entire continents in his memory. Having lost the foundations of daily life, we are in a harmonious harmony, firmly rooted in the struggle between the poor and the rich. All the twenty years of misfortune around the world have robbed him of everything except gold. He became uneasy about moral values. Tom Gabsek is soulless. It is said that among “all earthly blessings” there is only one thing sufficient for hope - gold. And from all human feelings, one recognizes the instinct of self-preservation. In contrast to skepticism, there is a socio-political nihilism, because the State Security Service condemns all those who care for their loved ones. It gives more sense to the struggle between the poor and the rich, emphasizing that this struggle is endless, and it is important that it is better to be an exploiter than to be exploited. Gobsek’s speech reinforces the poverty of his philosophy rather than the imperious desirability of people, which is given only by a humble feeling, and does not give in to self-esteem, not to mention respect on the side of other people.

“You believe everything, but I believe nothing. Well, save your illusions as much as you can. I will now give you a glimpse of human life. Those who call for capture in Europe are punished in Asia, Those who respect vice in Paris are recognized as necessary for the Azar Islands.

Gobsek lives extremely modestly, inspiring everyone. In recent years there has been a massive accumulation of gold. The hero respects that the one who is blessed with gold is blessed with light. We felt the bitterness of the aristocrats who had been brutalized before. Gobsek had power over these people.

There is nothing significant on earth, only mentality, and in the skin climate the stench is different... our moral rules and re-construction are empty words... To live with mine, you find out what’s wrong There is only one earthly blessing, there is hope enough for people to be persecuted behind him.

The writer depicts a strong human character, which was shaped by the most important, one might say, extreme minds of life. This is a self-sufficient person, who is able to make the right decisions from powerful favors, who highly values ​​himself, his moral conviction, his philosophy of life, and therefore values ​​himself more than the superior people. She is able to convey to other people her ability to achieve the powerful principles of life, she is able to subdue people of the powerful will, and then achieves the fact that other people are dying as she hangs before them. This person’s noticeable centrism does not respect the fact that she sensitively, with great attention, looks closely to the ears with whom she has a share, actively gets involved in the lives of other people, even if she respects her even more. Moreover, her behavior may always reflect the external image that she clearly creates and which is perceived by other people as her reality. The main signs of this image: people are automatic, which does not openly express power, it seems that it is impossible to change the truth from the dribnichki, it looks like a living philosophy that cannot be changed, until it seems that it is impossible to “reach” Xia.” The declarations that she voices, at first glance, are closely aligned with her behavior, as long as her behavior is entirely familiar, respectful and consistent in nature.

This is... gold.

Gold holds all the strengths of humanity... And yet, the morality of people is the same: through the struggle between the poor and the rich, through. And imminently. So it’s better to emboss it yourself, without allowing others to emboss it for you.”

In this manner, Gobsek affirms that there are no absolute values ​​and truths in the world.

Different peoples have their own morality, their own laws, their own concept of morality.

Some of Balzac’s followers said that the author of “Gobsek” and his other immortal works would not be read with respect in all commercial schools. From Balzac's works you can learn a lot about - about the laws of credit, buying and selling, about the legality of goods and about a lot of other subtleties of doing business.

And gold is an absolute truth and value in all countries and at all times. Only gold can give people absolute, real control over the world.

Now you have guessed the main characters of Gobsek, as well as the character of Gobsek, which is a rich explanation of his story.